My Favorite Bibles

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Readers often ask me about the different Bibles that I use when I post pictures on Instagram or Facebook of my morning Bible study. I thought it would be fun to share with you the different Bibles that I refer to and why I like each one. In the little blue boxes, you’ll see a few verses from Psalm 23, so you can compare and get an idea of how each translation reads.

The Voice Bible

One of the newest Bibles that I’ve picked up is The Voice Bible. We had a giveaway a few months ago, so several of my readers have gotten to experience this Bible firsthand. (I did a giveaway recently of The Voice. You can read my review of the Voice Bible and see why I loved it.) I love that this version reads more like a novel, but there are just enough notes scattered throughout to help you find your way, even if you are reading the Bible for the first time. In my opinion, it is a much better read than The Message Bible, but with the same theme of story-like reading. The Voice Bible makes a great gift for a friend who is unfamiliar with God’s Word, or for anyone who has found other translations difficult to read. My dad has been a Believer for years, and I gave him one for Father’s Day. I read it to him while he was sick in the hospital, and is now his favorite!

A friend asked me the other day which Bible I like to memorize from. As a family, with the kids, we usually memorize from the New International Version (NIV) because that was the Bible that I started with when I first became a Christian. Since it’s the first Bible I ever had, it’s my standard. It’s what feels comfortable to me. I have experimented and used other versions for memorization, but time and again, I find that I just keep coming back to the NIV.

The New English Translation (NET)

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water. (Psalm 23:1-2 NET)

Amplified Bible

The Amplified Bible simply takes the Word of God and amplifies, or turns it up. Think of what you do with your favorite music. You turn that volume up so that you can really enjoy it! That’s exactly what The Amplified Bible does. Using lots of synonyms, along with more defining phrases, it takes the keywords in each verse and just elaborates on them, going back to the original languages to further explain and define what is being said. If you love words, you will love the Amplified Bible.

The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. (Psalm 23:1-2 AMP)

Comments

I grew reading the NIV but as I got older I fell in love the the KJV because of the way it flows like poetry. A few years ago I stumbled across the ESV and now it’s my go to version. It’s got the flow of the KJV but is easier to understand like the NIV.